21). Unfortunately, the lack ofareal detail provided from 

 a single XBT transect prevents any conclusions 

 regarding the formation of eddies from L<K)p Current 

 meanders. However, for purposes of this report, all of 

 these structures will be referred to as eddies. Eddy 

 number 1 (App. Fig. 3) was an anticyclonic eddy crossed 

 on U) February and was centered along this transect at 

 station 17 (lat. 25°14'N, long. 89°46'W). A sea surface 

 tem[)erature increase of more than 1°C above the sur- 

 rounding water marked the center of the eddy, but no 

 discernible sea surface salinity change was evident. The 

 vertical expression of the eddy extended below 600 m in 

 depth. 



Eddy number 2 (App. Fig. 4) was a weak anticyclonic 

 eddy crossed on 16 March and was apparently centered 

 along this transect at station 14 (lat. 24''46'N, long. 

 86°54'W). The only change in the surface water was an 

 anomalous decrease in the sea surface temperature. The 

 weak characteristics of this eddy (depth of expression 

 <5(X) m) suggest that it could have been a frictionally 

 driven eddy on the edge of the Loop Current located just 

 south of station 13. 



Eddy number 3 (App. Fig. 7) was an anticyclonic eddy 

 crossed on 6 April and was centered along this transect at 

 station 12 (lat. 25°39'N, long. 90°09'W). The very slight 

 increase in sea surface temperature indicates that the 

 center of the eddy probably was located somewhat 

 farther to the southwest than the subsurface temperature 

 structure indicated. The subsurface vertical temperature 

 structure extended to below 600 m. 



Eddy number 4 (App. Fig. 10) was a relatively small 

 anticyclonic eddy crossed on II May and was centered 

 along this transect at station 30 (lat. 27°32'N, long. 

 88°38'W). A slight rise in sea surface temperature, as 

 shown in the surface parameter plot, indicates the eddy 

 influence reached the surface. The bending of the 

 isotherms was detectable below 750 m. 



Eddy number 5 (App. Fig. 11) was a large anticyclonic 

 eddy crossed on 18 May and was centered along this 

 transect at station 17 (lat. 24°57'N, long. 89°19'W). Only 

 a gradual increase in sea surface temperature, peaking in 

 the vicinity of the Loop Current at station 27, gave any 

 surface indication of the eddy location. Monitoring or 

 tracking of this eddy would have been difficult without 

 the subsurface information provided by the XBT 

 transect. 



Eddies number 6 and 7 (App. Fig. 12) were crossed on 

 27 July and were centered along this transect at station 

 13 (lat. 26°33'N, long. 91°00'W) and 18 (lat. 25°37'N, 

 long. 89°48'W), respectively. Eddy number 6, because of 

 its less distinct structure and weaker appearance, may 

 have been a frictionally driven eddy being forced by eddy 

 number 7, but this was only speculation. Eddy number 7, 

 an anticyclonic eddy, appeared much stronger (vertical 

 temperature structure extending to > 700 m) than eddy 

 6. 



Eddy number 8 (App. Fig. 14) was a cyclonic eddy 

 crossed on 1 September and was centered along this 

 transect at station 20 (lat. 26°00'N, long. 87°23'W). Very 

 little surface expression in both temperature and salinity 



showed up on the surface parameter plot. It appeared 

 that intense stratification masked the eddy structure. 

 The subsurface eddy structure began to show in the 

 temperature field at a depth of about 100 m and ex- 

 tended to more than 600 m. 



Eddy number 9 (App. Fig. 15) was a weak anti- 

 cyclonic structure crossed on 6 September and was 

 centered along this transect at station 8 (lat. 25°22'N, 

 long. 90°17'W). No discernible change in sea surface 

 temperature was noticed possibly because of the 

 stratification overlying the eddy structure. Even though 

 the eddy structure was not very dynamic, it was still pos- 

 sible to see the bending of isotherms to below 600 m. 



Eddy number 10 (App. Fig, 20) was a cyclonic eddy 

 crossed on 28 September and was centered along this 

 transect at station 15 (lat. 26°4I'N, long. 89°12'W). A de- 

 crease in the sea surface temperature between stations 12 

 and 17 indicated that this cold core eddy influenced the 

 surface waters as well as the subsurface water. The ver- 

 tical extent of this eddy reached > 600 m. 



Eddy number 11 (App. Fig. 21) was a cyclonic eddy 

 crossed on 19 October and was centered along this 

 transect at station 7 (lat. 25°5rN, long. 90°36'W). A 

 slight decrease in surface salinity on the southeast edge 

 (station 8) of the eddy was the only surface expression of 

 the eddy's presence. The vertical temperature structure 

 extended to > 700 m. There was no significant change in 

 sea surface temperature in the presence of the eddy. 



Cape Hatteras Transects 



Gulf Stream. — Gulf Stream crossings were identified 

 by the strong seaward dipping isotherms shown in the 

 vertical temperature sections, and positions of the north 

 wall were determined by using the 15°C isotherm at 200- 

 m depth (Worthington 1964). 



In 1975 the Gulf Stream was crossed on 13 occasions 

 (see Table 4 and App. Figs. 27, 29, 31, 33-37, 39-42, and 

 45) by SOOP vessels in the Cape Hatteras area. 



Table 4.— Gulf Stream crossings in the Cape Hatteras area by SOOP 

 vessels in 1975. 



